By Diane Whelan
CCC Journalism Program
Holiday shopping — we all do it. There are so many ways we can shop nowadays for the holidays, whether it’s online, months in advance or even the night before.
Is online shopping easier than shopping in stores? Matthew Furphy, an accounting student at Camden County College, thinks so. “There’s a whole heap of stress taken away when I shop online for the holidays. It’s quicker. I can usually get everything from the same place, and if I want to spend the extra few dollars, I can get it next day. It’s great,” he says.
Shopping online can offer deals ranging from free shipping to next day delivery. “I can go from buying gifts weeks or even months in advance to buying them a couple of nights or even the night before without the hassle of lines and other shoppers,” he says.
Elijah Soto, an art student at Camden County College, isn’t entirely convinced. “Online shopping is great but it takes away the joy of going to the store and seeing that one thing that’s perfect for who you’re buying a gift for. I love going to the mall for my gifts. I go early, though, so I’m not getting stuck in huge lines of all the people buying presents last minute,” he says.
Shopping in advance can also be popular. “The earliest I’ve ever bought a gift was in January. It just came out and I had to snag it,” he says.
But good old last minute shoppers are still out there. Everyone knows one and you may even be one. So is Urvi Patel, a business major at Camden County College. “I just always find myself buying gifts last minute. I guess you can say I work better under the pressure,” she says.
She’s not the only one to have this routine. “Oh, the stores are crazy. The lines are halfway to through the store,” she says about the night before the holiday.